Murders in Alberta increased in 2014

DH Calgary StaffNov 25, 2015 1:30 pm

New data released by Statistics Canada shows Alberta had 22 more homicides in 2014 compared to 2013, bringing the total for that year to 104.

While overall Canada’s murder rates are the lowest they’ve been since 1966, the province still saw an increase in homicides along with British Columbia, the Yukon, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Northwest Territories.

The additional homicides brings the murder rate in Alberta up to 2.52 per 100,000 people.

Canada police services reported 516 murders across the country in 2014, which kept the murder rate stable at 1.45 per 100,000 people.

Almost a quarter of all murders nationally are Aboriginal people – 117 homicides to be exact.

That represents a rate that’s six times higher than homicides of non-Aboriginal people.

Alberta had the second highest proportion of Aboriginal murders in Canada, at 11.55 per 100,000 people. The province is just behind Manitoba at 13.29 per 100,000 people.